Request for Proposals: Guiding Principles and Guidelines on Research Ethics

Terms of Reference

Guiding Principles and Guidelines on Research Ethics

Background:

AIPP

The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) is a regional organisation founded in 1992 by the Indigenous Peoples’ movements. AIPP is committed to the cause of promoting and defending Indigenous Peoples’ rights and human rights and articulating issues of relevance to Indigenous Peoples. At present, AIPP has 46 members from 14 countries in Asia.

IWGIA

Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Denmark, IWGIA is a global human rights organisation dedicated to promoting and defending the rights of Indigenous Peoples around the world. IWGIA works to support the empowerment of Indigenous Peoples through documentation, capacity development, and advocacy on a local, regional, and international level.

 

Over the past three decades, AIPP and IWGIA have been maintaining a strategic partnership, including, but not limited to, coordinating their efforts in advocacy work and joint implementation of projects with regional (Asia) and global outreach. AIPP and IWGIA are members of the consortium behind the Indigenous Navigator project, funded by the European Commission.

Documentation is a key component of work for both organizations, and both are striving to maintain the highest possible ethical standards when doing documentation and research work.

Objectives:

As a part of the Indigenous Navigator initiative, AIPP and IWGIA seek to develop Guiding Principles and Guidelines on Research Ethics for AIPP, IWGIA, their partners and collaborators (thereafter – AIPP, IWGIA, and their partners) engaged in documentation work as a part of the implementation of Indigenous Navigator, as well as other projects and initiatives.  Other examples of documentation work include but are not limited to documentation of Indigenous knowledge, documentation, and fact-finding around cases of violations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, mapping of Indigenous Peoples’ territories.

 

 

Scope of work:

The scope of the consultancy will include:

• Review existing ethical guidelines, principles, and best practices for research involving Indigenous Peoples developed by other Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, civil society organisations, research institutions, international organisations etc.
• Consultation with AIPP and IWGIA’s partners, networks and experts to identify key ethical concerns and considerations when collecting data with Indigenous communities.
• Development of a set of Guiding Principles on Research Ethics that would among others include reflections on FPIC, good faith, confidentiality, Indigenous data ownership, and community engagement.
• Development, in close consultation with AIPP and IWGIA of a set of research ethics guidelines that outline the ethical responsibilities of AIPP, IWGIA and their partners when conducting research and collecting data.
• Development of a training package for AIPP, IWGIA and their partners that will enable them to implement the research ethics and guiding principles effectively.
• Training of AIPP and IWGIA and their partners on Guiding Principles and Guidelines on Research Ethics

Deliverables:

The consultant will be expected to deliver the following:

• A report (max 15 pages) that includes a review of existing ethical guidelines, principles, and best practices for research involving Indigenous Peoples; a summary of consultations with Indigenous organisations, leaders, and knowledge holders;
• Guiding Principles on Research Ethics and Guidelines with the following sections:
  • Guiding Principles on Research Ethics (1-2 pages)
  • Guidelines in Research Ethics (2-5 pages), that outline the ethical responsibilities of AIPP, IWGIA and their partners when conducting research and collecting data with Indigenous communities.
• A short, 1 hour training (possibly to be recorded), including a training package that would enable AIPP, IWGIA, and their partners to implement the research ethics and guiding principles effectively.

 

Timeline:

The consultant will be expected to complete the project within 2 months of the contract start date. The specific timeline and milestones will be agreed upon with the consultant.

 

 

 

Qualifications:

Ideally the consultant should have the following qualifications:

• A degree in social sciences, humanities or a related field;
• Good understanding of Indigenous Peoples’ rights;
• Experience in conducting documentation/research work with Indigenous communities;
• Experience in developing research ethics and guiding principles for research involving Indigenous Peoples;
• Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills;
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines.

We strongly encourage Indigenous experts/consultants to apply for this opportunity.

Budget:

The budget for the project will be negotiated with the selected consultant based on their experience, qualifications, and proposed methodology.

Reference list:

• Asian Framework on Indigenous Knowledge and Data Sovereignty (developed by AIPP): https://aippnet.org/asian-framework-indigenous-knowledge-data-sovereignty/
• Kukutai, Tahu, and John Taylor. Indigenous data sovereignty: Toward an agenda. ANU press, 2016.
• CARE Principles — Global Indigenous Data Alliance. https://www.gida-global.org/care
• Data Rights — Global Indigenous Data Alliance. https://www.gida-global.org/data-rights

Tender process

Interested candidates meeting the requirements, must submit an expression of interest, CV, and a budget to Nikita Bulanin (nb@iwgia.org) no later than March 1^st, 2024.